Ajoo, The far edge of pain

There is something in common between doctors, relief workers and animal rescuers. Forced to witness the ravages and pain caused by disease and brutality we erect walls around us, layers of protection to shield us from the pain of those that we save. Those walls are, what keep us sane at times and allow us to keep calm and take the right decision at times when normal people would run away in panic (most of the time, leaving the victims behind).

My walls, however, were shattered to pieces yesterday when I was received an email from one of my friends in India telling me about a little dog she had rescued.

She named him Ajoo.

The picture was brutally clear, nothing was left to imagination. Laying on the rocky floor, a small puppy lays unconscious.. he had been hit by a car. But what choked me and nearly brought me to tears was a gruesome detail, the layer of skin and fat of his abdomen had been totally eaten by flesh eating parasites. The pup’s genitalia has also been devoured, the skin surrounding his penis, gone, eaten. I have no idea how long it took for the insects to finish their job, but I guess it couldn’t be less than two weeks.

Imagine….

Imagine….

Two weeks of torture, or intense burn in that most sensitive of areas, skin and flesh slowly eaten away, larvae planted in the pup’s soft tissue that would end up eating away the puppy until the moment when a car would hit him and send him flying across the road, at the far edge of pain, where he would collapse in shock and finally die.

This would have been the end of the story hadn’t my friend picked him up and rush him to the vet for emergency treatment.

Vet’s in India, are, however, incapable of doing anything else for Ajoo. Many of them are so repelled by the injuries that have offered to kill Ajoo, not to spare him suffering, but to spare themselves the trouble of having to deal with such horrific injury and its treatment.

The only way forward for Ajoo is a procedure called ureterostomy. That is, the creation of a stoma (a new, artificial outlet) for the uretra. In other words, the equivalent of a full sex change.

Once the operation is performed, this little pup will be able to have a normal life, to run, to play, without feeling the excruciating pain of the injury and the burning pang of rejection by whomever sees him.

No Veterinarian in India will perform this operation on a dog. Some human doctors can perform it on a human but they all have refused to perform it on a lowly animal.

We are going to do everything in our hand to save Ajoo’s life. In little less than two weeks, Ajoo will be flown to us and our surgeons will perform this most delicate procedure. After he has recovered and he is in a condition to travel he will be rehomed in the USA or he will fly back to India back to his rescuer.

Let’s Adopt! is an incredible community, week after week we perform feats beyond the reach of most rescue groups, that would never consider taking up a case as complicated as this one.

Let’s offer Ajoo a second chance, a new shot at life.

Together WE CAN make this happen.

Viktor

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Update 2 Febrary 2013

How life changes… and what happened to Ajoo? Wow… what a story that one was…
Here is it..

First: Ajoo and his rescuer, Manta were flown to our base in Istanbul. It was a great experience for both of them. For Ajoo because it was the beginning of his new life and for Manta because that gave her the chance to meet me (that was a joke)…

In Turkey Ajoo tried Spaguetti for the first and last time in his life. He didn’t like them, like a good Indian, he found them bland …

then Ajoo went through an operation called Ureterostomy, in other words, we amputated the troubled penis and created a stoma, a new exit for him to urinate. This is a very complicated and risky operation, and quite painful, you can ask Gord Macey, he will tell you.

The post op went well, and after a few weeks Ajoo was ready to fly again!!! this time to Germany, where he was rehomed and has lived happily ever since!!! Look at him now!!!

Amazing story right? How a helpless living being was snatched from death went through a sex change and ended up living life in paradise… You don’t get to read stories like this every day …

Well.. that’s what we do…

Ajoo was rescued, treated, rehabilitated and rehomed thanks to the amazing support of our incredible community to the Simba Fund. Please, should you wish to support our work so that we can achieving amazing rescues like Ajoo’s please contribute to our working Fund today…

You and your Staff must certainly be the Right Hand of God to be able to perform the many miracles you do to save the lives of these precious lives that otherwise would have been extinguished. Blessed Be to you all and Praise Be to God!

IT’s all team work Rebecca, this is an extraordinary community, results are achieved through the combined work of many. Some rescue on the field, others coordinate fosters, some help fundraise, others donate a few dollars.. multiply this by thousands and this is how we can do what we do…

That’s the most amazing story I’ve read with regards to animal rescue and rehab or otherwise…. Nothing short of heaven-sent angels for the little one…. God Bless all who were responsible for its success.

I remember the first time I read the story of Ajoo. I could not believe what I saw. With your help Ajoo has a chance to a happy life. I want to say Thank You Viktor and team for everything you do for these precious furbabies. Each and every animal deserves a chance to a happy life and home.

Viktor Larkhill , Your fight is my fight and we all have a sense of Moral obligations towards our four legged friends. I am still at awe and marvel about what you and your staff do. I constantly read all of the detailed info you put on these sites, and can’t help but to think why are some Humans so uneducated towards the understanding of an animal; that was put on earth to be our companions. These poor creatures whom you and your staff give another chance at life. Everyday you teach me on how to be a better person towards all animals and become aware of their struggles. I myself try to do all i can with what little i have. Thank you Viktor and your staff as well for being the Ambassadors for Animal rights to live. Bless you guys for all you do….

Thank You!! For what wonderful work you all do..May God bless the work of your Hearts & Hands…I so loved this “Happy Ever After” story… We see and read so much Pain & Ugly in this world.. And deeds like this give us all Hope to wake-up and do Gods work. May this Dear “Furbaby” find Love, Peace, & Health…God only knows the Hell he want through. Again,..Many Blessing For All You Do.

every story i read moves me to tears,every single one. may God bless you and protect you and keep you. thank you for helping the helpless.sometimes when i see how the story starts i wonder will the treatment ever work? but after reading so many stories now i dont doubt anymore, you and your team are amazing and awsome , actually there are no words!!!!! thank you,thank you, thank you

Well.. there is no guarantee anything is ever going to work. We loose some unfortunately, but they are a minority.. animals are incredibly strong.. combine this with amazing doctors and you have an incredible saving rate.
Thank you.. thank you… thank you..

I love your story…your Angels. I pray for your organization and your recovering fur babies….that you save. I love yall…and everything you do…for animals. May God bless you and be by your side. Prayers for all of yall. Your Heroes to ALL those wonderful animals and to all of us who learn about yall and what your doing. BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!!

i have never in my life heard of such an operation, let alone one being done on an animal, simply amazing!!! Viktor, you are the most amazing Vet i have ever heard of in my life!! a true genius or maybe a true standard of what a Vet should be 😀

Thanks!… I’m not a vet but imagine how nice it feels to hear that.
As I said, I’m not a vet, I’m more someone that enables amazing vets to do their best job, and they better be amazing, otherwise we wouldn’t work with them in the first place..
Many many thanks
xx

This story, had me crying with sadness, but then the angels of four footed creatures stepped in, and gave this beautiful animal a second chance at life, and a for-ever home. This renews my faith in the human spirit of kindness, and compassion. What a fantastic community, that does all it does. Bless all who make this happen.

Dear Viktor thank you for saving this dear little dog, he so deserved a life after going through such a terrible ordeal. I keep doing the lottery just in the hope I will win something to send to my charities and you are on that list, so keep fingers crossed, I am not sure if there is a God anymore as such terrible things are done to our friends who cannot speak for themselves, you and your kind are my God.